


The Dark Prince Lives: An Alternate Ending for TROS

by reylostar



Category: Star Wars, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Multi, Post-Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Star Wars - Freeform, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Spoilers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-21
Updated: 2019-12-23
Packaged: 2021-02-26 04:28:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 2,925
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21887452
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reylostar/pseuds/reylostar
Summary: A short story of how I wish The Rise Of Skywalker had ended. Do not read if you haven't seen the movie!
Relationships: Reylo
Comments: 1
Kudos: 46





	1. Please

“Ben” Rey whispers in disbelief.  
Ben looks down at her, a mixture of relief and fear pooling in his eyes. He pulls her closer, afraid that if he lets go he will lose her again. The tension between them is almost palpable, pressing and pushing against them, their force bond has never been so strong. It feels as if their whole lives have led to this moment, to each other.   
Rey hesitantly reaches her hand out, cupping Ben’s face. The contact sets her skin ablaze, every nerve in her body is on edge. Her fingers trace his cheekbone, his skin is softer than she expected. Eventually her gaze shifts to his lips, they had never looked so inviting.   
She leans in, kissing the lips she had been dreaming about for far too long. His hand tangles in her hair, pulling her face closer. His lips are hungry against hers as if he had also been anticipating this moment. Their surroundings melt away until there is nothing but them and this kiss, this kiss which is everything and more.   
When they finally pull apart, they can’t help but smile. For both their lives they have been left, manipulated, abused - and now, now they have finally found their home, their happiness. Ben’s grip on her begins to loosen and Rey’s brows draw together in confusion. A wave of horror washes over as she watches the color drain from his face. She tries to hold him up as he falls, her hand still gripping his. Her chest feels hollow as if her heart has been ripped from her body.   
“No” Rey gasps, her hands flying up to his face. “No, no, no. Wake up”  
Her tears are hot against her face as she frantically clutches Ben’s collar, urging him to open his eyes. Her tears turn into sobs as he lays there unresponsive. She lifts his head, laying it in her lap.   
“Please come back to me.” She begs, running her fingers through his hair. “Please.”  
“Rey?” A voice calls, but she ignores it.  
She leans down, kissing Ben’s forehead. A hand grasps her shoulder but she shakes it off, wanting nothing more than to be alone.  
“Go away” She spits, not looking away from Ben’s face.   
“Rey, what’s going on?”   
Something in Rey snaps, she turns around throwing her hand out. Finn struggles against the force choke, his hands clawing at his neck as he gasps for air. It’s the look of anger in her eyes that makes Finn scared, she has never looked so empty.   
“I said go away.” She finally releases him, and he falls to his knees.   
She places her hands over Ben’s heart, trying to will him back to life. Her eyes flutter closed as she reaches out, focusing on the force around her, manipulating it to do her will. She can feel it coursing through her veins, making the hairs on her arms stand on end as it flows all the way to her fingertips. She can feel the effort draining her, her life being poured into another, but she doesn’t stop - motivated by the thought of Ben’s smiling face.   
“Rey stop!” Finn yells, pushing her away from Ben.   
Her eyes fly open, her hand instinctively grabbing for her lightsaber.   
“What did you do?” She screams, scrambling back to Ben’s side. “I was trying to save him!”  
“You were killing yourself, he’s not worth it Rey.”  
With one flick of her hand, Finn goes flying.   
“Ben?” Rey whispers, brushing the hair out of his face.  
His face is still far too pale, but she sighs a breath of relief as his eyes flutter open. He looks up at her, his eyes dazed.  
“Rey?”  
“I’m here” She cries. “It’s okay, I’m here.”   
She helps him sit up, her hand never leaving his.   
“How did you-” He begins to ask.  
“I couldn’t just let you die.” She says, smiling.   
Ben reaches over, taking Rey’s face in his hands. He leans his forehead against hers, their noses touching. He moves closer, lightly brushing his lips against hers.  
“Ben” She sighs contently. No emotion she has ever experienced could compare to the relief she feels now, with Ben in her arms, alive.   
“Say that again” He whispers.“Say my name.”  
“Ben” Rey repeats, rubbing her thumb over his cheek.  
“I’ll be him for you” He brings her wrist to his lips, kissing it gently. “I’m going to be him for you.”


	2. You Loved Her

Ben puts his arm around Rey’s shoulder, leaning on her for support as they make their way off of Luke’s x-wing. He catches a glimpse of the crowd outside and stops short.   
“I can’t face them.”   
“We are not here for them Ben, we are here to say goodbye to her. You can do this.”  
Ben’s eyes flitter to Rey’s face, his heart dropping at the mention of his mother. She places a hand on his cheek, smiling at him encouragingly.   
“Just ignore everyone else.”  
He takes his arm off her shoulder, wincing as he straightens his back. He’s had years of practice putting on a facade, today he would pretend to be strong. He lets go of Rey’s hand with a slight nod. The first one to greet them is Poe, BB-8 on his tail.   
“Rey,” He says, his expression startled. “And...Ren?”  
Instinctively he begins to reach for his blaster but stops when Rey shakes her head.   
“Poe, this is Ben.” The introduction is more of a warning then a formality, the two have met before.  
Poe still looks weary, but he nods, letting his hands fall to his side. BB-8 beeps excitedly.  
“Thank you for saving her.” Poe says sheepishly.   
Ben looks startled, his eyes shifting to Rey. He was never good at compliments or any kind of positive affirmation.   
“She’s the one who saved me.” Ben responds, eyes still focused on Rey.  
Poe shifts from one foot to the other, uncomfortable at the sudden change in dynamic. Finn joins his side, scowling.   
“I think that’s my cue.” Poe jokes, walking away.  
Finn shakes his read, reaching out and pulling Poe back. Poe looks at him in bewilderment but decides to stay.   
“Guess you survived,” Finn says. “Glad you’re okay Rey.”  
“You too, Finn.”  
“If you have a moment later, I have something I need to tell you.” Finn says anxiously, his eyes darting to Ben.   
Ben cocks an eyebrow, amused.  
“Go ahead” Rey says impatiently.  
“Uhh, right now?”  
“Here we go” Poe sighs.  
“Yeah, we are not going to be here long.” Rey states.  
“Alright then,” Finn says nervously, rubbing his hands together. “I was just wondering if you’d like to, um, go on a date...with me, or something”  
Poe slaps his hand against his forehead in embarrassment, even he’s not blind to the sparks flying between the dark prince and his rey of sunshine. Everyone turns to look at Rey.  
A blush spreads across her cheeks at the sudden attention. She bites her lip nervously, trying to subtly glance at Ben in an attempt to gauge his reaction.   
“Finn…” She starts. “You’re a great friend-”  
“But her interests lie elsewhere.” Ben says, finishing her sentence.   
Although she thought it was impossible, Rey’s cheeks burn redder.   
“Come on buddy,” Poe says, pulling Finn away, winking at Ben and Rey as they leave.  
“Thanks” Rey says, looking down at her feet.   
Ben puts his fingers under her chin, pulling her face up to look at him.   
“Your interests do lie here, with me, right?” The hope in his voice warms Rey’s heart, and she feels all her tension melt away.  
“Always.”   
______________________________________________________

On the edge of camp, the resistance members have created a small memorial for their lost princess. Rey walks over to it, running her fingers over the smooth marble. She thinks of all the friends she has lost, there was never enough time to properly mourn them, not in the way she wanted. She sinks to her knees, the loss falling on her shoulders like a ton of weight as her mind flickers through the memories. She remembers her hunger for something constant, her desire for a family. Now she had found him, her home. So much had changed, she barely had time to soak it all in.  
“You loved her.” Bens’ voice is thick with emotion as he watches Rey, staying a few steps back.   
Rey stays silent for a moment, pushing her own grief aside, knowing that Ben needs her now.   
“Come sit with me” Rey says, looking over her shoulder.   
Ben doesn’t hesitate to join her, and she intertwines his fingers with her own.   
“You loved her too” Rey says, resting her head against his shoulder.   
“I wish I could have said goodbye.” Ben whispers so softly the wind threatens to blow the words away.   
“I know” Rey brushes a tear from his face, pulling her dark prince closer.   
She stays there with him late into the night, a silent companion as he wrestles with his grief.


	3. New Beginnings

The sun is barely rising when Ben wakes, the orange glow consuming the dark of the night.   
Ben smiles down at Rey, asleep in his arms. The black of his shirt makes her skin look even more radiant than usual, and he silently praises himself for giving it to her. He can’t remember the last time he woke up feeling happy, this may be the first morning he has ever felt joy. Not that he doesn’t still have struggles, but everything seems easier when Rey is by his side.   
She stirs in his arms, her eyes fluttering open. She stretches out her arms, yawning.   
“Good morning” Ben mumbles.  
“Morning” Rey responds groggily, burying her face into his chest.   
“If I get to wake up every morning by your side, I’ll be the happiest man alive.” Ben sighs, his voice low enough that Rey is oblivious to his words.   
They lay in silence for a moment, soaking in the presence of each other. The colors of the sky change above them from orange to pink to a pale yellow.   
“I want to go somewhere with you” Rey admits propping herself up on her elbow. “Away from here, just the two of us.”  
“What about your friends?”  
“They’ll be okay without me.” Rey says.   
“You don’t have to do this, leave everything behind, not for me.”   
“You are my family now Ben, wherever you are is home.”  
Ben smiles, leaning over to kiss every inch of her face. Rey giggles, throwing her arms around his neck.   
Ben plants one more kiss on her nose before asking, “So where are we going?”   
“You’ll just have to wait and see.”  
“You’re always full of surprises, aren’t you?” Ben smirks, pulling Rey onto his lap.


	4. Let Go of The Past

Ben wanders off as Rey begins saying goodbye to her friends. He leans against a tree, staring out at the great wide open. He tries to keep his mind from wandering, attempting to focus his thoughts on the present, but his memories still haunt him. The death of his father is a burden that will never be lifted, the face his father made as Ben killed him is still crystal clear in Ben’s mind. No amount of redemption will change that.  
Ben sighs, wrapping his arms around himself. He gave Rey his long sleeve, opting for a short-sleeved, fitted top. He’s not used to having so much of him exposed.  
“Ben?” A voice calls out to him.  
He stands up straighter, searching for the source. His eyes land on a bluish figure, not quite solid but surely there. A scar dons the right side of his face, and his smile feels all too familiar.  
“Grandpa?” Ben gasps in disbelief.  
“I’m so proud of you” Anakin smiles. “Your grandmother is too”  
Ben's heart feels as if it is about to burst, this is a conversation he has been fantasizing about for years, although the context is much different now.  
“I’m sorry” Ben’s lip quivers as he fights back the tears. “I’ve done everything all wrong”  
Anakin steps closer. “You have nothing to apologize for Ben, you have done the right thing, you returned to the light. You are so strong, so brave. Happiness is all I ever wanted for you”  
Ben smiles, wiping the tears from his face with the back of his hand.   
“I like the girl, she’s strong. She’ll be good for you.” Anakin smirks. “Take good care of her.”  
Ben nods fervently, in complete agreement.   
“I wish you could stay” Ben chokes out, the tears still fresh on his cheeks.  
“I’ll be with you, always” Anakin replies. “I love you more than you know”  
“I love you Grandpa”  
His figure shimmers away and Ben is left alone once more, but this time everything seems lighter.

——————————

Rey wraps her arms around Poe, pulling him into a farewell embrace.  
“You may be a pain in my ass, but I’m still gonna miss ya.” Poe says.  
“Ha ha” Rey mocks. “I’ll miss you too.”  
“Take care of BB-8 for me.” Poe adds, patting his droid.  
“Take care of Finn.”  
They exchange one last friendly smile before Rey joins Ben on the ship, waving at her friends.   
“Are you sure this is what you want?” Ben asks, closing the ship door, and wrapping an arm around her waist.   
“I’ve never been more sure of anything.”  
Rey waves to her friend as they disappear into the distance, her heart aches to be away from them but when she looks at Ben’s face - she knows it is all worth it.


	5. Forever

Rey slams the button, opening the door to Luke’s X-wing.  
“Tattooine?” Ben questions, peering through the crack as the door swings open. “Why here?”  
Rey shrugs, grabbing her bag and throwing it over her shoulder.  
“It’s secluded and beautiful.” She says casually. “The perfect place to start our lives.”  
Bens lips twitch as he fights a smile, secluded, just him and Rey.  
“Good to get back to my roots too, I suppose.” He adds.  
“We will stay here as long as we need to.” She says, leading him out of the ship.  
They make their way towards the small white home, Luke’s childhood home. The inside is still furnished, just the bare necessities. Rey hurries to the bedroom, throwing their bags onto the bed and starting to unpack.   
“Rey?” Ben whispers.   
“Hmm,” She hums, not turning away from the task at hand.  
Everything suddenly feels like a dream, just yesterday they were taking down Palpatine, now Rey was moving them into a family home. He wasn’t sure he could keep up, his struggles still haunted him, still followed on his trail and clouded his mind. The pull to the dark side wasn’t gone, just lessened by Rey’s presence. He wanted to move forward, to leave everything behind and build a normal life, a family, he just wasn’t sure if he was worthy of it. He collapses onto a chair.  
“Rey” He whispers again. “Rey. I’m scared.”  
Rey turns from their bags, walking over to his side. He looks up at her through dark lashes, afraid of her reaction, afraid that she will leave him again.   
“I still feel it” He admits. “The pull. What if I can’t do this, live this life? What if I don’t deserve someone as good as you?”  
Rey twists her fingers into his dark locks, gently pulling his head back so their eyes meet.   
“I feel it too.” Their legs are now touching, his chin close to resting on her stomach. “We will be okay out here Ben. We will train, meditate and love. We are going to be happy.”  
He closes his eyes in an attempt to fight the tears, the couple had never needed to exchange too many words - their thoughts and emotions were often clearly stated through their actions, and through the force. He could feel her belief in him, her love for him, and it was the push he needed to continue on, to try. He wasn’t sure how he deserved such a happy ending.   
“Okay.” He chokes out, standing up to hug her.   
She grabs the lightsabers off the bed and turns to grab his hand.  
“Walk with me?”   
He nods his head, following her lead out of the house and into the sandy desert of Tatooine.   
Rey stops a few feet out of the home, dropping to her knees. She carefully wraps the lightsabers in an old orange cloth, Ben watches her quietly, not wanting to disrupt. A hole appears in front of her and she places the lightsabers into it and then turns to look up at him.   
“Wanna give me a hand?”  
Ben kneels next to her, both using the force to cover the lightsabers up with sand, patting it down once they are fully covered. The burial signals so much, but above all else, it is a symbol of new beginnings, of their decision to leave the past behind. They return to their feet and turn towards each other. He places a hand against her cheek, staring down into her kind eyes.   
“I love you Rey.” He whispers, running his thumb over her cheekbone.  
She leans into his touch. “I love you Ben.”  
He leans down to kiss her, her soft lips feel like magic against his. No matter what happens, as long as Rey is by his side - he will be a happy man. The two suns of Tatooine set behind them, turning their kissing form into a silhouette against the orange sky. They turn to admire the beauty, enjoying this small, but perfect piece of their forever.


End file.
